Rheostat.



trates a plan view the'operating handie ci;

f No.' 839,259.

iran sierras pa'innr'eniien. 1

ADELBERT O. BENECKE, GF N EWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'IU AMERI- can iNsrRUMnnr ooiviriinv, on *n 'non or New JERSEY.

N EVVARK, NEW JERSEY, A 'CORPORA- RHEEOSTAT.

Patented Dec.`25, 1906.

.Application nei Apel 9, 1906. serai No. 310.619.

To @ZZ who'nt t may concept:

Beit known that I, ADELBERT O. BENECKE, a resident of the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rheo stats, of which the following is a specification. The construction of rheostats for laboratory 'and other purposes has hitherto been along certain lines which have rendered them objectionable for various' reasons,- among which may be stated that raised against the ordinaryrheostat, wherein the 'resistances have to be cut in or cut out by means of one plug or a series of plugs, and in some cases the readings are -not shown as d1- re`ct, lbut the resultant readings must be ar otherwise objectionable,

at by calculation. The single-plug rheostat is open to the objection that for stepfby-step resistances up to ten ohms a separate resistance-coil must be Iused for each step, thereby increasing the co1nplication of the structure and rendering the same In rheostats using a smaller number of resistance-coils additional plugs are used, requiringv more or less Vmanipulation oi such plugs to obtain the necessary or required resistance.

' The ohject'oi my invention is to overcome these 'objections and to produce a directreading'rheostat with a minimum number of resistance-coils- A I amable to utilize the principle-ofi my invention either to produce series resistance or multiple resistance, and in the accompanying drawings, forming -a part o'f'this specili- ,cation, I have shown the principle as applied to what Iterm a se1'ies.rheostat and to a multiple rheostat.

Figure l is' a side elevation showing a series rheostat with the wiringtfor the same in diagram. Fig. 2 is an e'nd elevation of the dial and index. Figs, 4, 5, and ,6 illusftrate, respectively, side views of the several Fig. 7 illus#v disks used in this construction. trates one formof the means for securing the contact and insulation segments to the hub J l of the disk.

`Fig. 8 illustrates another manner, and Fig. Qstill another manner, of securing the-segments to thedisk.' FigT l0 illus! trates a plan view of multiple-"rheostat Fig. 'l1 illustrates a cross-section o the same,

taken on line :i: oiiFig.' 10.-A Fig. .l2 illus?,

. wheel and index-plate, and Figs. 13,14, and

tcrvals-I secure the disks D, E. I", andA Gr. Secured tothe end oi the insulating haseplate A is the indexeplate H, with'the livisionsfroml to 0 marked upon its man gin, the index-plate being concentric with handle I, rigidly secured thereto, as is also the index-pointer KQ The disks D, E, F, and G are composed of the center hubs L, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6. Said vhubs may be made of metal or insulating. material, as desired in this particular structure. the peripheries ofthese hubs are mounted the metal segments M and theinsulatingsegments N, arranged as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and the disks being secured to the shaft in the relative positions illustrated for consecutive or step-by-stepj increases of resistances.

tact-springs O and P, as shown, the upper endsoi' these eontact-pieces` lying flat-against the sides ofthe disk segments. These contact-springs are secured to the hase-plate A by means of the binding-posts Lf-as shown, said binding-posts passing through the plate and having b1nding-screws Q at their opposite extremities. VThe leading-in Wire R is secured to the iirst binding-post at the left, andthe resistance-coils S of one ohm, S of two'ohm's, S2 of'two ohms, and S3 of five ohms are interposed between the pairs oi. bindingposts, as shown, for apurpose hereinafter to e described. i

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 7 I

M and N upon the hub L. In this case the segments are ilttedagainst the periphery of the hub and held in position bymeans of the headed screws m, leaving a space n between adjacent segments, the screw itselt` being `emnpletely springs I3..

if In the modification illustrzatedzilillig. 8 I

tremitie-s. Upon the shaft C at regular in-` Secured to the base-plate A are the coni Similar vletters of reference reifer.l to `like mount upon the shaft C. At the end of the shaft C is the Upon have shown a plan for holding the segments TOO out of the path of the contact- Y inthe bearingF' upon the upper part o1 the "'lrarn'e A." isthe horizontal shidit G', es shown inFig., l0.

j Plitt@ I I.

-rom 1 to 1(1," inclusive.

:are the segmental disks M', alternating with the disks 1J'. The segment-disks M' cooper ate the springs D3 of the L-eiieped terminals D'. The segment-disks M are made up, as shown in Figs. 11, 13, 14T, and 15, with the metallic segmentslvl2 alternating withinsulating-segments h' '3, preilerebly'oi herd rub ber, spaces being 'left between the ed'iecent ends ofthe segments Lto avoid the short-cir cuiting, as heretofore described. The errangement of the segments upon. the several disks M is clcarlyillustrated in Fier 11,A 13,

'- .`14, ,and 15 for step-by-step ldecreases in resist'ance, as heretofore described with respect se to the structure-illustrated in Fig. 1'. The plain disks L' and the segment-disks M' are y I in electrical connection with the shaft G' end nection that each of the plates D is connect 1 ed by means of e resistance-ribbon with the when in operation form part of' the circuit.

A convenient form o'i' resistance for multiple rheostats of this lstructure is illustrated 1n Fig. 11 and consists of a resistance-ribbon N', one end of which is connected to one of the pletesrD end then carried in zigzag manner over the insulating-plates G', es shown* t is to be understood in this con plateB, and the relative resistsnces of these I. y several ribbons are jin the retio of one, .5, .5,

. lof the ribbons shall' be in the ratio ot one, tivo,

two, and iive.

' secured, res ectiveljv, to,l the plete B and f brackets D yso and .2 ohm, so that the relative conductivity The ends of the ribbons N' y Ineens of the P' end the screvg'fs Q2, Hwy

clamping-plates as shown in Fig; 11. i also secure' the ribbons to the insulsting 'members O' by means of short dowelepins O2.

ln'operation the rheostet is connected into a circuit, the leading-in wire being connected i nected to the angleplate B'. With the disks M 1n the relative position illustrated in Figs.

to the plete C' through the busJoe-r connection C2 and the leading-out' wire being con- 1'1, 13, 14, .and 15 it will be noted that the contact-sprlngs D3 will' all beer upon the `insulating-segments, and consequently the circuit Willqbe open.' Upon moving the hen- H, and with it the index-plete l', so that 6.the pointer shall become adjacent to the 1 j .5y

indexNo. 1,.it ,fill be notedthat the 1nesaid shaft, eech oi the resistances ol'fered. tothe circuit is one.

ohm, and if the potentie-l of the current is one volt the output will one empero. 'Upon moving the hendle ll to the next division upon the index-plate the insulating-segmentv N3 of disk No. 1 will be brought adjacent to .the contest-springs D, and the resistanceribbon Et will be cut out, While resistance E3 will be out in. This resistance is .5 of an ohm. 1n this position it will be'noted that all ot the vother disks :it their insulating-segment are in contact with the s uings D3. Therefore the current will passonly through the disk No. 2 and be cut out of ellthe other disks. The output under these conditions Will be two aniperes.' For three emperes disks Nos. 1 und 2 will be cut in. peres disks Nos. 2 and 3 will be cut in, und so on up to the point when the output shall be ten aniperes.

in the muitiple rheostat it will be noted For four arn-' that I have divided the disks h" into eleven.

divisions instead of ten, es in the series rheostat'. However, if more units than one are used in the multiple rheostat, the successive units of resistance being `Correspondingly decreused, it will be iuinecr-sSargT to divide the disks into more than ten parte 5 but for a sin# gie unit l prefer to divide into elev'endivi sions, so that the current maybe cut out completely when the insulating-divisions of each Iof the disks shsli be in contact with the springs D3.

.While l have shown in Fig. the index`4 late as secured to the bese for this particu- Y ar structure, i do not wish to be understood es coniining that churecter of indicating ineens to that structure, as the index-plete' can be secured to the shaft C, und the polnter K con be secured to the bracket B in Substantially the saine manner as the correspending parts are shown in Fig. 10, or the structure of the index mechanism of Fig. 1 is elly edepted to the structure of Fig. 10, However, prefer to use the stationary IIO pointer and roteteble index-plate for each of the forms, as illustrated, and show that illustrated in Figs. A1 und 2 Aas alternativeinethods ol: securing the indicating means to the devices.

l claim- 1. In a rheostut, the combination of a 1'0- tarv shaft, e plurality of-disks vsecuredupon with an insulating peripheral segment and u conducting peripheral segment, contacts rings beering upon opposite sides oi said risks, e 'resistencecoil 'foreach disk and said disks being provided ments or tl :vugli l, A O

Y 'for fliiocging un. (Floc/tric current through on@ @ri'plisifies ol" l, y i @6951i 'co (mk, and: mei i Sith@ "it, Sie ,oiiiliiiiaitioii Q; {iisk mouilel ou siiiA dipl Conilumili mid insulating pm sfagmenfus SSC/UTG@ said disk, @uitziet-springs mounted *to I i upon. apposite mes of Said psiii-plieial Sigi/ments, zi issisnewil adjacent tu, Said. disk, and means for cminmtiii up Said par@ inail alecfbiml ciiciiit.

in e, {naast-zit, ther combinaiimi of a r0- mmhle Clisl, a. plurality oli afltei'iialy-zliS-- posed conducting- :iiiii insiulming iegripliial segments secuied to s'f-icl disks, and. contactmoiml/ed to bear u-jpon ofpQSili, faces of said peripheral Segments with ilaSiSta-iiceh Cgil and means 'foi' comi/acting Said parts in an. elct-risal Circuit.

5. A Thans/tat, comprising series oi' rota,- mlilfe disks rigidly scuiecl t@ a shaft, alteiluitely-lispsad conducting and insulatmg Segments foimiiig 'the 'pfeiipli'L-ifies 0i sai-(l disl'ls, resistance-00H5 of (liliei'ing capacities lmzzitcfl respectively adjacent to Said. disks md olectifial conn-@miem lci' sending aour rout either through Said c n lusting-segl re ismi1 coils. :it comprising a rs Lbtable :shaft ks spaced mail :jmd i'igially m Uued i@ said Shaft, peiiplieial seg'mns Cured i0 Said disk, said segmmis being Csm,- posed Oi c@ ,inlilcting iim'tei'i-il mil non-con ducting iiizitciliai allfiiialicly disposed, a mi? mi uoiitact-spi'iiws eiiiliiafcing the 0i' 22h@ peripheral mggiiisnts 'upwil @zich 'lisli; :i Pmistmicewoil iu Gleeiflical coiiiiectioi. aft mi@ @ml with mich pair Ol Contact-spying; and. al lli@ other with :i Common tm'miiial aml'iiieaiis All essi, afssi'ies @l .fils

)TQ 0i' said disks and to sail'lconmmii toi'- of one 0i muy@ 0l' said cmi- "egmen-S, @outlaw-springs and resisb :mw-c0115.

i, and brins (lislis lififfi alleinlit'ly-llifspwwd psiiplif nl segiiwiiis of 5 wmluutixig :zml nl" iusulziinjij material, tlm l all.' ,Qui mills o. siixl Segmenls lvcnj Spucml ing in ifiiiuiml lim* filmini igliei'mm 1:, ilmii'l'l mmmflmspii friibi'nciug the, :Lxci'igilwry ni :unifi amid ulm" ical i :in l

y Combination f3.1' l secu' ed tog-@tha to 1'0- 9. in izility 0i' c s disposed and i .iefl to vthe 'peril lieries @1i said disks, i 11'." ance-mil adje-cant to @mail ilisl,'nieiiis dex dial im ioi indicab LO l am? upon opi sfagmens, i

lisl, an el uw n im limiting tlm of cui-iz? lx1 :i rlimsmi, the cuinliinzgbii of :i ivi-- i 'mately-(ilszmil mula ti i, peripheral sccuiml miki f lislis, and, @ont l. 'ings iuouiiml 'lo lisait upon opposi fuses s: iil 991i pwiul segments, 'wil'` li ai ie.s, .-3ii1.cf: '.l, moans connecting; up said. parte in :in electrical Circuit, mill uwziiis 'lor indicating lille iesistamcc ollei'cii lo the. passage mi alii- Cvuikl! L.

A yliwstnit, mmipi'ising Salies ol' i1)- lzi alil lis rigidly Secured lo :i shaft, alberll coin-luck@y and. iiisulm'im :iegimJ-iis mining lli@ wiigilieiies of .sai

` Qsisl .niif ,oils nl dit? bring Capacities vljf adjacent u: will nl olcciiiclil cu i i Lions foi' sending :i curtail', either iln'ougli mid mufliicing-begn'ieuts 0i' tliiougli said iosistunQQ-coils, ml mei-:ms ihr indi ailing tlm miic@ ollcrud lo the gw# mg@ o f the surreali,

13. Il iiicostab, comprising 5i rotatable shaft, ai ssfies of flislisspaced ripari and figidly Seemed. L10 said silmfa, periplieial,

lim l wapa seaese ments secured to said disk, seid segments being com osed of conductin material and` ,non-con notingv material -a ternetely disposed, a ,pair of' contact-springs embracing the edges oil the peripheral se ments upon each d1sk,'a resistance-coil in e ect-rical con 4nection to one end with each pair of contact- ;s'p s, and at the other with a common ter.

, means for directing an electric current throughone or more ofsaid disks and to said 'common terminal by Way of one cr more of p Aj :said conducting-segments, l contact-springs `and?resistance-coils, and an index-plate securedpltzo 'said shaft, said plate having indices 'upon its-margin, and a fixed 'index-pointer rlocated adjacent to the margin of said plate.

1y A rheostat, comprising in. combination,

@rotatable shaft having vsecured thereon acohdncting-disk, and' a series of disks hav dlternatelyfdispos'ed eripheral segments -1 v of conducting and 'of insn ating material, the

adjacent ends of said segments being spaced apart, a leading-in terminal having mounted erate pairs of contact-springs, and an index f plate'secured to seid shaft, said. plate having indices upon its margin. and a fixed indexpointer located. adjacent to the margin of said plate.

This specification signed and this 6th day of April, i906.

ADELBERT O. BENECKE.

l Witnesses:

i?. J. Nnssn, L. M. SANDERS.

witnessed 

